Word from Our Pastor

Easter Blessings, He is risen! He is risen indeed!

2010-04-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

Gospel Reading John 20:1-18,
Early on the first day of week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple out ran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. then Simon Peter, who was behind him arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. [They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.]
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don't know where they have taken him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus.
“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to hear, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni! [Which means Teacher].
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me for I have not yet returned to the Father. God instead to my brothers and tell them I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news; “I have seen the Lord!” and she told that he said these things to her.
Sermon “Is That all There is?” John 20:1-18 04/04/10
When we depend upon our eyes or our other senses alone to perceive truth we end up lamenting as the old Peggy Lee song goes, “Is That all There is.” Many of you remember the song, no matter what was going on in the lyric the refrain always responded, is that all there is? Whether it was a tragedy or an occasion of joy. Whether her home burnt down or she went to the circus, it was always, “Is That all There is?”
Those who witnessed Christ's journey to the cross and his death must have felt that way as they left Golgotha. Those who feared and hated Jesus were disappointed because he died too quickly, is that all there is?. The Roman soldiers who had to go back to the boredom of the barrack life, must have thought is that all there is? Those who loved him must have thought back, remembering the promise of a new world, and faced with the reality of his death and a world seemingly unchanged must have lamented, is that all there is?
Look what happens as the disciples depend upon their eyes alone for truth.
Mary went to the tomb finding the stone rolled back and the tomb empty to goes to the other disciples and says, “They have taken the Lord away.”
The disciple whom Jesus loved looked in the tomb and saw the grave clothes lying there and believed. What did he believe? He didn't believe Christ had risen. He believed the tomb was empty and he now believed Mary when she said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb.
Peter went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen and the cloth that covered Jesus' face were neatly folded in different places. Even Peter, the one who always had flashes of insight, looked and said yes, he's gone. The biblical witness tells us they went home. There is nothing to do here, he's just gone. That is all there is.
Then Mary saw the two angels. Again she responds, “They have taken my Lord away.”
And then, Mary saw the gardener, she doesn't just say, “They have taken my Lord away.” She found person, so she says, “If you have carried him away, tell me...”
You know that is the problem with eye witnesses. They don't always see reality. That is why if you really want to make a good case for or against anything or anyone. You need good solid circumstantial evidence.
You see what happens inside our brains is our intellect is limited by its complexity. When have an experience the brain sorts through its collection of previous experiences to make a match. When we encounter something that doesn't fit into our previous experience we try to make it fit. Like Cinderella's slipper, we force this new experience into the experiences that we have had in the past, that which we know. And when it doesn't fit our brain either rejects the experience or bends it into something acceptable.
So when faced with an empty tomb Mary responds in a reasonable and sane fashion. Her grief does not cloud her rational mind. She actually arrives at the only conclusion a person in their right mind could reach. Dead bodies do not simply disappear. Someone has to move them. In a world of established rules, in a world where that's all there is; that's all there is or can be. In a world where reality must be touched, or smelled, or seen, there is only room for the old and familiar. Only a place for the plausible.
Mary's logic is right on target. Find the body, wherever it has been taken and get on with her grieving. Even when angels, heavenly beings, beings from another dimension ask her why she is weeping, Mary still believes that someone has stolen the body.
Even when she sees Jesus she thinks it is not him, he is dead, it must be the gardener. He'll know what happened to the body.
Mary knows that she is in a cemetery, a place of loss and death. Her brain has no way to process the what she sees. She sees Jesus but she says gardener because her intelligence cannot make room for a walking, talking, dead man.
And then something happens, he calls her by name. And when she hears her name, it must trigger some memory, long passed. Maybe from the beginning of their relationship. You know when they first met, when she was “crazy Mary.” Demon possessed, we don't know what shape it took, it could have been addiction, depression, schizophrenia or just demons. What ever sort demons beset her, they she was completely in their power. Because the biblical witness says, there were seven demons. The number of entirety. Maybe she had a flashback, just for an instant she could see that time so long ago, when they were standing over her, holding her down, she was shrieking and writhing when suddenly she heard, Mary, Mary, you are healed. Her body calmed as the voice touched her, he called her Mary, not crazy Mary, just Mary. And from that day on no one ever called her crazy again. And today when he spoke her name, she remembered.
She remembered that there is more to life than your present circumstance. There is more to life than is revealed at any given moment.
When they were at the cross, they lived in the mindset of “that's all there is.” In our gospel this morning we hear, “But on the first day,” the day of new beginnings. God wants us to know it is a new time, that is why it is on the first day of the week. The old and familiar death is replaced with new and abundant life.
When Mary knew who she saw, she said, “Rabonni,” her tears of grief turned to tears of joy.
The pain, the pain that Jesus predicted, the pain he likened to childbirth was replaced that joy that he promised the joy, the joy he likened to holding a new born babe.
O death, where is thy victory. O death, where is thy sting!
The grave could no longer hold Christ and because of Christ it no longer holds you.
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
As Mary was freed from the grave of possession, by the voice and touch of the living Savior. Likewise you can be freed from whatever holds you in bondage, whatever grave clothes bind you, whatever the name of the grave that holds you. Because we know our redeemer lives.
It wasn't just the resurrection of one man, of Jesus the Christ. He was the first born and we are free at last free at last thanks be to God we are free at last, free of the past, free of bondage free sin free of the bondage of death, free because He is risen. He is risen indeed.
Alleluia! And Amen!

2010-02-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to All:
Zion’s Children to Be Brought Home
Isaiah 49: 8 –12
8 Thus says the Lord:
In a time of favor I have answered you,
on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages;
9 saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”
to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”
They shall feed along the ways,
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;i
0 they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Lo, these shall come from far away,
and lo, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.
Most of us have never been incarcerated in the penal system. Yet many of us have been prisoners of one sort or another. We have been prisoners of destructive habits, of addictions, of hurtful relationships, and of situations where we felt as if circumstances were completely outside of our control.
To one in any type of prison, Isaiah’s words offer priceless pearls of hope. “Come out of your prisons, show yourselves from out of the darkness;” these are potent words of hope to people for whom hope was only a distant dream.
Not only is release promised, but a life of freedom is pledged as well. The freed captives will not hunger or thirst and they will not be struck down by scorching wind or sun. The key to this freedom is that they will be led by God; “he who has pity on them”.
Jesus described part of his role as Messiah as, “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives”. In what prison are you confined? Are you ready to hear the good news of freedom?
Let us pray: Lord you know our prisons, some are of our own making, some are imposed upon us. Free us we pray, release us from that which keeps us from being all that we can be. In the name of the One who transforms lives, Jesus the Christ, amen.
i

Welcome to our Lenten Journey

2010-02-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Have you ever been truly thirsty? This question does not refer to a time when one might like something to drink. This question refers to a circumstance where one is desperate for water; perhaps even a life-threatening situation.
Human beings are designed, we are born with a thirst such as this; a thirst for God. “You have made us for yourselves and our hearts are restless until they find rest
in you”, wrote Saint Augustine. Our souls thirst for God.
Yet too many people try to satisfy that thirst with false gods. Some try some “new spirituality”, while many others try to fill the need with wealth or possessions. These not only fail to truly satisfy, they seldom even last. Only God is eternal. Only God can fulfill our longing for meaning, for a joyful life. Let your restless soul find rest in him.
Join me in prayer: O God, let me find the living waters your Son promised. Fulfill my longing for meaning in my life through your presence. Let me find my rest only in you. In the name of the One who transforms lives, Jesus Christ, amen.

2010-01-18T03:23:00.000-08:00

Grace and peace to each of you!
Please pray with me: Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept your Word. Silence any voice but your own, that, hearing we may also obey your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gospel Reading John 2:1-11 NIV
On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. “What is the Sign?” John 2:1-11, 01/17-10
I think the most intriguing phrase in this morning’s gospel is “the first of his miraculous signs.” Magicians change liquids from one to another all the time and someone said at Bible study, our response is usually is “How did you do that?” But the biblical witness says the event made the disciples believe in him. Perhaps the sign was not the miracle itself, the physical change of water into wine, perhaps it is something else.
For just a moment let’s contemplate the amount of wine. We know there were 6 jars that held between 20-30 gallons of water. Roughly 150 gallons of wine, that works out to 1600 glasses of wine. A wedding feast was a week long event and the biblical witness tells us we are half way through it, so that means that there are 457+ glasses of wine for each day. That is a lot of wine, a lot of very good wine, more wine than you need.
One hundred and fifty gallons of wine, jars filled to the brim. When Jesus comes on the scene we move from shortage, scarcity and lack to overflowing abundance.
When Jesus Christ set foot on earth, when he comes among us, there is an abundance of love; there is an abundance of hope, an abundance of joy and an abundance of courage.
But we have a problem understanding, accepting that truth and enjoying the life that God meant us to have.
It wasn’t just at the wedding at Cana that Jesus modeled the overflowing abundance that he would bring to our lives, the feeding of the five thousand- five loaves and two fishes and twelve baskets of left over food.
And it is not because we are too educated, too smart. It is not because we are too sophisticated and scientific. I believe that it is because we are o so careful, o so restrained and o so cautious.
Right now Nancy is leading a Bible study about stepping out in faith. And in our very first lesson we talked about Peter going to walk water to Christ, you remember the story; the disciples are out in a boat and a storm comes up. In fourth watch at the darkest time of night Jesus shows up walking on water towards them. “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” Jesus said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” And Peter did. The thought never crossed the minds of the other disciples in the boat.
We just don’t make big moves in life. We don’t ask big things of God. We keep our faith to ourselves, safely tucked away in the confines of our church. We keep our prayers subdued, cautious and careful.
And it might be because we think of our relationship with God in the context of what we feel, what we believe, or what we do. And we all know how frail, how limited, how finite our resources are.
How many times has someone come to me and confessed; “I fear I am losing my faith.” Usually it is when they are going through a tough time. They feel their faith is being tested by their circumstances, and they fear they will lose what little faith they have. In that fear, they ask, “What can I do to hold on to my faith?” “How can I have more faith?”
But what if, what if our faith, our belief, our love of God is truly a gift of God and not our personal achievement? What if God is there waiting, wanting to give us more faith, while our fists are clenched trying so hard to hold on to our faith he wants us to open hands and hearts and receive from him, more love, more energy, more hope and more joy.
In short, what if this morning’s gospel is true? Jesus comes to a party in Cana, out in Galilee. When the wine gives out, he tells them to fill up the large stone jars with water, not just fill them, but fill them to the brim. When they do, the water is turned into wine, lots and lots of wine, more wine and better wine than anybody could possibly need to have a good party! When he fed the five thousand, there were twelve baskets left over. Five thousand people five loaves, two fish, everyone had their fill twelve baskets left over.
The good news this morning is that we have a God who is gracious and generous beyond measure. If we open hands and our hearts and our spirits to receive the gifts of faith and hope and joy God will give us more faith, more hope, more joy, more than we could possibly need.
Let us pray: Lord give us a bold love for you. In our prayer, give us a willingness to ask you for big gifts, not small ones. Gifts like peace, love and justice. In our lives inflame our desires for more abundant life. Life lived in your light. In our discipleship tempt us to try large tasks, great ventures and remarkable feats. Change our insipid water downed faith into the bubbling joyful wine of faithful discipleship. To your glory we ask these things in Jesus name, amen.
May your week be filled with God's mercy, may his mercy you move you closer to Christ, and may the Holy Spirit fill you with the courage to answer God's call on your Life!
Blessings, Pastor Dottie

2010-01-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

I pray your New Year is filled with God's grace and mercy.

Let us center ourselves with prayer. God of mercy, grant that the Word you speak this day may take root in our hearts, and bear fruit to your honor and glory, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reading Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe your selves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Sermon “Be-Attitudes for the New Year!”
Happy New Year!
Every year we make New Year’s resolutions. We want to improve our health, so we create a diet and try to follow it. Or we promise to quit smoking and make an action plan. Or we join a gym and promise to work out at least three times a week. We promise not to waste money and to save or to tithe, or to be on a schedule so we can be more productive. We decide we will work on our relationships by setting aside a date-night for our spouse or a game night for our children.
This can be called a program approach. You set up a program and you are doomed to failure. How many diets have you started, only to find yourself going back to your same old habits. You get busy, you get distracted and your commitment begins to waver and your program begins to fall apart, usually around the 24th or 25th of January.
So maybe what we need for real change is an attitude adjustment. We cannot change our behavior without changing our attitudes, because our attitudes are basis for our behavior. So let’s look at some real change we can make in lives.
1 Be positive.
Paul uses a clothing analogy and you know if you think about it, if your clothes or your shoes are uncomfortable, if they are too tight you can’t move freely. You know yourself when you’re mindset is fearful you feel all tight and tense, and it is hard to be compassionate and you can’t possibly be kind. You can’t be open to hearing others and when you can’t hear others you get focused on yourself you lose your humility and without humility you can neither be patient nor gentle. It is like having ill-fitting clothes, we can’t move around freely if we live in fear. Paul in II Timothy tells us; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
2 Be perfect.
I don’t mean perfect in the sense of never making a mistake. It is Christ’s love expressed through us that makes us perfect in God’s eyes.
The difference between a nice clothes and a stylish look is the way all the pieces come together. In God’s closet we find love. Love is the attitude that brings all the parts of our character into a single whole. Love, in the words of one writer is “not an emotion, but a policy.” Just as wood putty fills cracks and defects in wood, so that the wood might be useful, so love covers the individual defects and idiosyncrasies in our faith so that we can be useful to God and to one another. The Message paraphrase of the Bible calls love “Our basic all purpose garment,” some might call it the little black dress of faith. Without love our compassion, humility all of those wonderful qualities are but a clanging symbol.
3 Be peaceful and thankful.
Living at peace with our families, friends, co-workers and fellow Christians is not always easy. Noah had as much to fear from the woodpecker inside the ark as he did the storm raging round him. Our “umpire of conduct,” paraphrasing the Greek, is the rule of peace.
There is a question we might ask ourselves before we take an action. “Will my action promote peace?” Has anyone here ever improved a relationship by being confrontational? Another way to consider the same question would be simply, “Will I, will God, be thankful for how I acted?” Holding those questions in the back of your mind will contribute in a positive manner to all your relationships
4 Be praiseful.
Whatever you do, do it as praise to God. This maybe the most helpful attitude change you can make. Look at why you do things; do you separate out your reasons for doing things? Are there churchy things you do to praise God and then other things you do for other reasons? Just as a little experiment, tonight when you place your head on the pillow go through your day, what did you do that was to praise God and then what were the reasons that you did everything else. I had a friend and he was in constant conversation with God everything he did was prayer of praise. As result his life became a prayer of praise to his creator. Now did he live a perfect life, was he ideal Christian no, but he was grounded in God.
5 Be purposeful.
The name of Jesus Christ is the center of our Christian living. His name provides our identity [I am a Christian].
It provides something else, something perhaps we don’t think about. The name of Jesus Christ provides us authority for our conduct [I do all I do in Jesus name]. As a Christian I need not cower not bully, neither whine nor despair.
If we begin the year not by making a list of all that is wrong with us and trying to white knuckle change by creating a program, a schedule but by looking at our attitudes. Going into God’s closet taking out what he offers us and remember whose we are and who we are. Seek first the kingdom of God and all else will be added to you. All those resolutions that we make and break before the month out will be unnecessary, because the change that you seek will happen as a natural outgrowth of being clothed in Christ.
Be positive, Be perfect [in God’s eyes], Be peaceful and thankful, Be praiseful,
And Be purposeful. And have a blessed New Year!
The grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Pastor D

2009-11-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Sermon “A Connectional Faith” Hebrews 11:39-12:2, 11-1-09
It is said that we Presbyterians are a connectional denomination. When people say that what they are speaking to is our form of governance. We have local churches that are governed by the session, made up of elders elected by the members of the congregation. The elders elect commissioner[s for a church our size it is one] who along with the pastor represent the local church at presbytery. The presbytery is a group of churches geographically or ethnically related. They are responsible for the mission and government of the church throughout its region or ethnicity. From those members are elected commissioners to the synod which is the intermediate governmental unit responsible for the mission of the church throughout its region.
The general assembly is the highest governing body of our church and is representative of the unity of the synod and presbyteries, sessions and congregations of our denomination. On each level we are connected to one another. That is one way that we are connectional.
But that connection can be fragile and even broken. From the earliest days there was conflict and differences in our churches. Those differences are what many of Paul’s letters address.
Because of some of those differences we have developed denominations which expressed our uniqueness. And last week we celebrated our uniqueness, a uniqueness that was forged out of our differences. But greater than our differences is our connection to one another. From the beginning we were part of the body of Christ and we remain and always will be a part of the body of Christ.
And when we think of the great cloud of witnesses that Paul lifts up in our reading this morning we realize that our connectedness runs longer and deeper than anyone can even imagine.
Our connectedness goes back to the ancients, to our pre-Christian heroes. They were commended as righteous, because they lived by faith. Our history goes back to the beginning, to Abel, whose sacrifice was acceptable in the eyes of God because of his faith. In fact, it says earlier in the chapter in verse 11 of, that Abel’s faith still speaks, even though he is dead. His faith, still speaks.
The Bible is filled with the stories of saints, we have read their stories, they are the prophets, the writers, kings and common people just like us. In fact saints are just like us, people who God blessed with call.
They are the person who prayed for us when our faith wavered, when the pain was so deep we could not pray for ourselves. It might have been a Sunday school teacher who took the time to listen to your story. The neighbor who provided a hot meal when you were caring for a sick loved one. It might even have been a midnight radio preacher who was there at your darkest hour. Some saints are folks you would never suspect; when we studied Revelation we heard the story of young man who ran away from home. A local homeless man talked to him all night about the importance of family and faith and gave him the money to call home.
Those saints that came before us must still speak. Their voices must not fall silent. Their voices have been heard over the millennia through the personal witness and the mission of those who followed.
Now it is our turn, we are the saints. So how will we speak for Abel, for Rahab for the Sunday school teacher, the neighbor, the midnight preacher or the homeless man? They can only speak through our personal witness and the mission of this congregation.
What is the voice we will add to the great cloud of witnesses?
As a congregation we can continue to support the mission of our church. We do that through the offerings of our prayers, our gifts, our time, and our treasure. Today we will dedicate the pledges and the mission of this congregation to the glory of God.
As individuals, we can add the voice of our own stories, our own testimonies.
Think about how God moves in your life. And share that story; your witness is a powerful voice. Your witness is probably the most powerful voice. Tell somebody what you were like before God moved in your life. Remember where you came from and how far you have come. Share your testimony born again experience. Share the faithfulness of God, his influence, or his love at work. When you held that new born baby, or held the hand a loved one when they went home to God. Folks say you shouldn’t talk about religion, but at the end of the day we need to talk about our faith. It connects us to all the saints who came before us, who paved the way so that we could run our race. When we talk about our faith paves the way for those who follow us.
And when we talk about our faith it keeps our eyes on Jesus, so that we do not become weary and lose heart.
Let us pray: Lord, turn our eyes upon Jesus, so that we do not become weary and lose heart. Help us to tell our stories so that no one ever forgets Abel, Rahab, our Sunday school teacher, our neighbor the midnight preacher or the homeless man, all the saints that brought us to you. May they remain a blessed memory. Amen.

2009-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Sermon “Domestic Violence Sunday”
Job 38:1-7, 34-41, Mark 10:35-45, 10-18-09
Most dads and granddads have something they do to remind you of how strong they are and how you are dependent upon them. It’s usually some saying like, “As long as you live under my roof…” or physical act that shows superior strength, like pressing a bathroom scale up to 150 pounds with their bare hands. They don’t do it often. It isn’t done for real intimidation so much as just a reminder of who dad is and who we are not.
As we began reading in Job, God shows up and in the NRSV it says in a whirlwind a tornado. And we have all seen tornadoes either in person or on television, dirt and tree limbs, all sorts of debris spinning. Job is cowering, trying to keep the debris out of eyes and his mouth. And then he hears God’s voice booming out of the whirlwind, saying, “Gird up your loins like a man.” In other words, prepare for battle. And then, God explains to Job who he, God is and who Job is not.
The book of Job paints a picture of God we rarely see; an all powerful, all knowing, eternal being. He is a God who creates ex nihlo, out of nothing. Most of the time we have fleeting glances of him. Even Moses did not look on the face of God, in Exodus Moses asked God, “Show me your glory, I pray.” And God responded, “I will make all my goodness pass before you…you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live…I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by, then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
But in the early morning when the dew is deep and you stand at the edge of a ridge and look out over one of our beautiful valleys you get a glimpse of the magnificence of creation. And when the thunder rolls and the lightning dances across the sky you feel a hint of the power of God. This is God’s world, he planned it, he laid it out, set the boundaries for the land and the sea. And we, each one of us, is part of that magnificent creation.
And God meant something more for us than what many of us are willing to settle. This is domestic violence Sunday. And one in four women and one in ten men will suffer from abuse at some time in their lives. And it is not just married women, or women seeking divorce whose lives are forever changed by violence. It is young teenage girls and the elderly. Probably all us know of some abuse in someone’s life, but often abuse is shrouded in silence. If you came in through the kitchen you saw we have three silent witnesses to abuse. If you haven’t read their stories, take a moment before you leave church to honor those suffering from abuse by reading their stories.
When we are victimized and overwhelmed by others, we live lives of fear. There are those folks they can be a spouse or lover, or a child or parents who desire to control and have power over the lives of those in they claim to love and use verbal abuse and/or violence to accomplish that end. These are people who believe that life is about power, in many cases they were brought up in homes where violence occurred. They take the fear they create and use it to keep their victims from seeking help or relief, to keep them silent. They function in a world system that advocates only two choices for survival; the role of the oppressor or the forced role of the oppressed. But in our gospel lesson this morning Jesus offers us a third option.
When we meet Jesus and the disciples we hear in conversation, in spite of Jesus’ teaching to the contrary, James and John are still stuck on the world’s system. Power seems to still be a motivating factor, and the other apostles are no better, they were indignant not because they thought James and John were wrong. They grumbled because they too wanted the position. They seem on one hand dense and on the other hand arrogant. We wonder if they were paying attention when Jesus was teaching as we read earlier in chapter nine. Where they asked him, “who was the greatest, and he replied, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Or earlier in chapter ten he brought a child into their midst and said, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.
The need to control others through violence and abuse is the hallmark of the world system based in one human’s power over another. It happens in all races, at every education level, it happens in the wealthiest and in the poorest homes. It could be happening to one of our children, one of our grandchildren or even one of us. Abusive people exert control over others do so by using fear. To say that a person deserves abuse if they stay, that it must be acceptable behavior for that family is just plain wrong. The actual abuse colors the way the victim thinks and responds. I once talked to a woman in her 60’s she said her father hit her with the poker because she was such an impossible child. No one deserves to be hit with a poker. If you are in line at the grocery store and someone cuts in front of you and you hit them with a poker, you are going to be arrested and charged with assault. It is wrong to hit a stranger, and it is just as wrong to hit someone entrusted to relationship with you. To abuse a human being created in God’s image is sin.
God wants us to lead fearless lives. And if being caught up in the world’s power system leads to all sorts of violent behavior and it is not God’s intention, then what is his desire for us?
It is discipleship, servant hood. Some might say isn’t that just another form of oppression? Marx called religion the opiate of the people. The Bible tells us it is freedom. Jesus is our example of servant hood; his obedience comes not from oppression but from his love for his Father and for us.
Now let’s make this very clear, because Jesus wants us to understand servant hood in God’s kingdom, what it means and what it does not mean. Servant hood does not mean being a doormat.
James and John say “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
Look at how Jesus responds, he says; “This is the cost, are you willing to share my fate?” And then he adds, it is not up to me. So being a servant does not require you let people force you to do anything. Nor does it require you to say or reveal anything you don’t want to say or reveal. Being a servant means respecting others as individuals. Being a servant means you have personal boundaries, you maintain your autonomy.
Secondly, being a servant does not mean that you have to put up with just anything anyone does. Remember when Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple. He was angry, and he acted out of righteous indignation. You do not give up your moral compass in the servant’s role. You do not have to do or accept those things you find morally repugnant.
Jesus warns us about the lure of power and its ability to corrupt. He reminds us that as humans we are capable of being the oppressor and vulnerable enough to be the oppressed. The oppressor has no moral compass and the oppressed have no autonomy.
God wants us to have both, a moral compass and autonomy.
As part of God’s magnificent creation he created humans in his image, man and woman he created them. To act as servants to him and to one another is our highest calling. The good news is with Jesus Christ as our example, we can move beyond lives of fear, move beyond the need to have power over others. And become the important part of the magnificent creation we were meant to be.

2009-10-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

New Testament Reading Mark 10:17-31, page 716
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good- except
God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these things I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age [homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields- and with them, persecutions] and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
One The gospel of our Lord.
All Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon “It’s Not About the Stuff” Mark 10:17-31
You know it’s not really about his stuff. We need to take time to look at this morning’s lesson.
Do you see what Jesus is asking him? He says; “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” Jesus gives him the list it is a “doing list,” an action oriented list. This appeals to us because we like to know what is expected of us. And the rich young man responds, well yes, I’ve done that since my bar mizphah.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. You can picture the scene. He takes his hands and places them on the young man’s shoulders, Jesus’ heart breaking. And he says; “One thing you lack… sell everything you have and give to the poor.” That is a tall order, and as we read later impossible for the young man.
It sounds incredulous, sell everything you have and give to the poor. And Jesus knows that because he says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
To wit the disciples said, “Who then can be saved?”
And Jesus says, it’s impossible for a human being to save him or herself. And he goes on to add, “all things not just some things, but all things are possible with God.” And in that concept that all things are possible with God lies the crux of what Jesus is trying to teach us.
I invite you to look at Exodus 20 on page 54, and look at the list, it is commandments 6-10 with do not defraud coming from Deuteronomy. But when we look at the first four we understand that this is not all about his stuff, it is all about God.
1 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You need to know who I am, you need know the power that I have. That I have the power to bring you out of slavery, no matter the form of slavery.
2 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall know that not only can rely on me, but that you must because all else will fail you.
3 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. You shall remember that I am the holy one, set apart.
4 Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it. You shall spend time with me so we can know one another.
This is where the young man failed; he had no relationship with the living God. that is what those first four commandments are all about, how we interact with a holy God. He understood the law but he did not understand his place in God’s kingdom.
And he tells his disciples do not worry, live in hope. He tells them, “Yes, if you follow me you will you will receive a hundred times as you have left behind in this present age homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields- and with them, persecutions and in the age to come eternal life.”
Wait Lord, did you say persecutions? What is this about persecutions? You are telling me to give up everything, my family, my money, and you’re saying that one of the things I will receive is persecution?
When we become part of the body of Christ we receive a family and all of the rights of that family. Being in that family does not protect us from persecution; it strengthens us for our day of trial. Being a child of the king does not stop the world from falling down around us. And that is why commandments one through four are important.
Remember Martha and Mary? Martha was busy in the kitchen and she was frustrated because she was doing all the hosting and Mary was sitting at Jesus feet and listening. Martha said, “Jesus do something.” And Jesus replied; “Martha, Martha you are distressed by many things and Mary has chosen the more excellent way and it shall not be taken from her.”
It shall not be taken from her; that is the important part. It shall not be taken from you; those times you spent with Christ are what will carry you through. Living your life in commandments one through four, “that is the important part.”
The remembering that you were once in bondage, but now are free will bring you up from the pit. Remembering that God is holy and set apart and through him all things are possible will suddenly give rise to hope. Spending time with God, getting to know God, will remind you of his mercy and his grace. Those are the things that will carry you through the divorce, it will carry you through the job loss, and it will carry you through the pain, it will carry through the darkness, even through the valley of the shadow death. It will even carry you through persecutions.
We always hear that it is about his stuff. And on one level it is. But getting rid of the stuff is only an expression of the following of the first four commandments. Because you could get rid of all your stuff and remain the same. Remember what Paul said in Corinthians? “If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Not only is Paul saying, if you give away your stuff for vainglory it means nothing, but if I give myself to my persecutors, so that it reflects well on me- it would mean nothing.
So if it is not about his stuff, and it is not about his actions; that means that it is not about our stuff and it is not about our actions. It is really about commandments one through four.
Let us pray; O Lord, help us to remember that it is not about our stuff, it is not even about our behavior, it is about making your Son Lord of our lives and truly understanding that when we follow commandments one through four the other six will fall in place. In name of the one who transforms lives Jesus the Christ. Amen.

2009-07-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

Peace and Grace to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
This month has been really busy and I haven't had an opportunity to send a new posting.
Summer is upon us and the world is awash in color. God's existence is apparent in the beauty of the world in which we live. Paul said it best in Romans, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
This week as you visit parks or walk round your yard open your heart to hear God's message written in the beauty of his creation.
Please share your thoughts with me on this blog.
Love and peace,
Pastor Dottie

2009-06-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

Sermon “Can These Bones Live?” Ezekiel 37:1-14, 05-31-09
The prophet Ezekiel had a very strange dream. A dream about sun bleached bones--human remains. The enemy force had overrun the defending forces, leaving only bleached bones in their wake.
As the prophet was looking at them, the Lord God asked him: “son of man, do you think these bones can live--do you think they can be restored to life again?”
I ask the same question this morning, can this church, can the church universal be restored to life again? O there will always be a remnant and we see glimmers of hope in Africa and Asia.
But we, the U.S. church have abdicated our power, our moral high ground; we are allowing ourselves to be defined by the world. And because of that we have become like those dry bones.
We want to be called a Christian nation but that privilege comes from what is written on our hearts and not what is written in our law books.
Do we speak and act in a manner befitting of our Christian title? I don’t mean like a monk or a nun, but with live lives of respect for our God, for ourselves and for others. Are you restrained and measured in your speech and your action or do you use inappropriate language and lack self-control? Do we act like we believe the promise?
Being defined as a Christian nation is more than words or symbols. Those things can only serve as valuable reminders of how we should live. It is not “In God We Trust,” on our coins and bills any more than it is saying “One nation under God” that makes us a Christian nation. It is how we as a nation speak and behave and that is dependent on how we as individuals live up to our calling.
We rail at the ACLU and our government for creating a godless society and yet we are that society.
If one of us were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence for conviction?
The statistics for divorce, abuse, alcohol and drug addiction, even abortion all of the ills of this world are reflected in the church, we are no different than the world. We hide behind God’s mercy saying that we are all sinners. But where is the expression of our relationship with Christ? Our lives should reflect our relationship; our words and in our deeds should speak to the transformation of our lives.
When we see ourselves as others see us it is not the picture of someone who is in the world but not of the world it is a picture of someone who is in the world participating in worldly pursuits.
92% of Christian homes have a Bible, 59% of us claim to read the Bible occasionally and what that says is that less than half of us read the Bible more than occasionally. Only 14% of us participate in a Bible study. When we as Christians are neither regular Bible readers nor regular students of the Word, do we really expect to be able to bring our point of view to the table? How can we if we are illiterate?
Although when polled 44% of persons will claim to have attended church the previous Sunday, unfortunately when people are asked to keep diaries, the number drops to about 25%. It is sad to think that we want people to think well of us and so we lie about church attendance and but we don’t think well enough of God to actually attend.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us that to attend worship with other believers is a privilege, not a burden. For many Christians today it seems best just another option for Sunday morning or at worst, an obligation and a burden for practicing Christians.
We cannot legislate God’s grace and mercy, his sense of justice cannot be written as a law. We cannot legislate people into a relationship with God or a respect for the life that God has given each of us. It will not come from external pressure; it must come from the transformation of the heart. Like the dry bones we need to have life, life abundant breathed into us.
A revival is possible! Even dry bones, without sinew and flesh and blood, can live. The coming of God’s Spirit brings life. The same thrilling truth is still needed in a world that has dry bones everywhere. What we need is to have the Holy Spirit come with His quickening power that a genuine revival may sweep the earth.
All I know is that God calls us afresh into God’s light, to a life in faith. Let us heed his call, let us trust him more than our human senses. Let us allow our Lord Jesus to touch our dead or tired spirits to revive us again. Lord Jesus, revive us again.
And if we do that the ACLU or no one else can stand against us. People will know because they will learn from our actions the joy of the gift of God’s grace and mercy. And we can create what would truly be a new world order, the kingdom of God brought closer to earth through a revolution of grace, mercy and example.
I pray that you will consider what you can do, be open to the Holy Spirit, feel empowered to act. Get past your fear of being an upfront Christian. I pray that you will get past inertia and step our of your comfort zone. The future of this church of any church and the reaching a hurting world with the good news is up to the Holy Spirit and so this day let us call on the Holy Spirit, for renewal and revival. And then let us be willing to act.
Let us pray: God fill this house, your house with your Holy Spirit, empower, enliven, and revive each heart. Enable us to share your good news in our words and in our deeds and truly bring transforming love to families, our communities and our nation.

2009-05-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,
As we travel through the glorious fifty days of Easter we can contemplate the names and titles of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. The names and titles lead us to contemplate the attributes that they represent and can open hearts to vastness of God’s mercy and grace. God bless you this day and everyday.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

Beloved Read: Ephesians 1:3-6

To be God’s beloved is to be loved very much. Consider the gift of a relationship with the One who is beloved of God.

Blessed Read: I Timothy 6:15b

He is holy; King of kings and Lord of lords. What joy comes from having Jesus as the Lord of your life!

Let us pray:
Your love, O God is perfected in us through the gift of your Beloved and Blessed Son. Open our eyes to behold your mercy. Open our hearts to receive your grace. Open our hands to do your ministry. Your Son died for our sins and to rose to eternal life, first born from the dead. How can we ever do less than live as redeemed, grateful, purposeful, hopeful and in service to you O Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Spring and the glory of Easter fill our hearts with hope. Please let me know what these titles mean to you and how Christ as Beloved and Blessed impacts your faith journey.

2009-04-27T15:04:00.001-07:00

Dear Ones,
As we travel through the glorious fifty days of Easter we can contemplate the names and titles of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. The names and titles lead us to contemplate the attributes that they represent and can open hearts to vastness of God’s mercy and grace. God bless you this day and everyday.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

Adam Read: I Corinthians 15:45-49

Consider the gift of eternal life that we receive from Jesus Christ.

Advocate Read: I John 2:1-2

Consider the gift of forgiveness and the gift of being right with God through Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Lord you sent your Son to teach us, to guide us. O holy God, you sent your Son to die for our sins and to rise to eternal life, first born from the dead. How can we ever do less than live as redeemed, grateful, purposeful, hopeful and in service to you O Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Spring and the glory of Easter fill our hearts with hope. Please let me know what these titles mean to you and how Christ as the new Adam and as our Advocate impacts your faith journey.

2009-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones in Christ,
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen Savior Jesus Christ!
By God's grace and mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
A joyous Easter to you and those you love.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

Let us pray:
Glorious Lord of life, by the mighty resurrection of your Son you overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him.
Grant that we who celebrate with joy Christ's rising from the dead may be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

2009-04-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
I welcome you as we remember this day together. Come to the cross, the place where we learn-in the words of Paul Claudel, “Jesus did not come to explain suffering nor to take it away; he came to fill it with his presence.”
May you always feel Christ’s presence, especially in your darkest moments of suffering.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

Psalm 22
Plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility
To the leader: according to The Deer of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;
17 I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Take time now for prayer:
Eternal God, your tortured Son felt abandoned, and cried out in anguish from the cross, yet you delivered him.
He overcame the bonds of death and rose triumphant from the grave.
Do not hide your face from those who cry out to you.
Feed the hungry, strengthen the weak, and break the chains of the oppressed, that your people may rejoice in your saving deeds.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

2009-04-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
I welcome you as we continue our Lenten journey this week. Our enemies may be with out or within. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer help you to find the peace and hope of God’s grace and mercy.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

Psalm 143
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies, A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing my life to the ground,
making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old,
I think about all your deeds,
I meditate on the works of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Save me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
on a level path.

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life.
In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
12 In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,
and destroy all my adversaries,
for I am your servant.

Take time now for prayer:
God our hope, when we are distracted by care and sickness, help us to recognize your image in ourselves and others, that we may be made whole and the world become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

2009-03-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
I welcome you as we continue our Lenten journey this week. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer help you to feel the redemptive power of God’s mercy and love.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

Psalm 130
Waiting for Divine Redemption
A Song of Ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

Take time now for prayer:
O God, you come to us in the depths of our darkest despair, in the suffering of Jesus Christ.
By the rising of your Son, give us new light to guide us, that we may always praise your Holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May God bless you, may Christ walk beside you and may the Holy Spirit fill you with courage and peace.
Pastor Dottie

2009-03-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
I welcome you as we continue our Lenten journey this week. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer help you to know in your affliction the healing and forgiveness of God’s grace and mercy.
Pastor Dottie

Psalm 102
Prayer to the Eternal King for Help
A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call.

3 For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass; I am too wasted to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places.
7 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread, and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger; for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations.
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor it;
the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold its stones dear, and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the Lord will build up Zion; he will appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
19 that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die;
21 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” I say, “do not take me away at the midpoint of my life,
you whose years endure throughout all generations.”

25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away;
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall live secure;
their offspring shall be established in your presence.

Let us pray: Lord, while our days vanish like shadows and lives wear out like a garment, you are eternal.
Although our earthly lives come to an end, help us to live in Christ’s endless life and attain our home, the heavenly Jerusalem, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

2009-03-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
I welcome you as we continue our Lenten journey this week. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer help you to feel the cleansing power of God’s grace and mercy.

Psalm 51
Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Take a moment for prayer; God of mercy, you know me better than I know myself and you still love me. Wash me from my sins, create in me a clean heart and strengthen me by your Holy Spirit that I may give you praise; through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

2009-03-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,

I welcome you as we continue our Lenten journey this week. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer help you to find joy in the forgiveness of a holy God.

Psalm 38
A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing - A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath.

2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones because of my sin.

4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.

5 My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness;
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all day long I go around mourning.

7 For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

9 O Lord, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you.

10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes—
it also has gone from me.

11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my neighbors stand far off.

12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin,
and meditate treachery all day long.

13 But I am like the deaf, I do not hear; like the mute, who cannot speak.

14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no retort.

15 But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

16 For I pray, “Only do not let them rejoice over me,
those who boast against me when my foot slips.”

17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

19 Those who are my foes without cause are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.

20 Those who render me evil for good are my adversaries because I follow after good.

21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, do not be far from me;
22 make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

Let us pray: God of compassion, when we are weighed down by the burden of our sins, help us to remember that you do not forsake us, but show mercy through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen

2009-03-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
I welcome you as we continue our Lenten journey this week. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer help you to find joy in the forgiveness of a holy God.

Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Of David. A Maskil.
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.

11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Let us pray:
Merciful God, we confess that we have squandered your blessings and turned our backs on your love. Help us to repent and return to you, confident that you will welcome us as your sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. Amen.

2009-02-25T05:52:00.000-08:00

God’s grace and blessing to you,
We begin our Lenten journey together this morning. May the reading of the Psalm, meditation and prayer bring you healing.
Psalm 6
Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness
To the leader: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
3 My soul also is struck with terror,
While you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

Let us pray:
Merciful God, you know our anguish, not from afar, but n the suffering of Jesus Christ.
Take all our grieving and sorrow, all our pain and tears, and heal us according to your promises in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Peace and love,
Pastor Dottie

2009-02-23T05:05:00.000-08:00

Grace and peace to you!
On Wednesday we will begin our Lenten journey together.
Each week I will be posting a Psalm of Penitence (with an extra posting during Holy Week) and a prayer to guide you on this journey.
These seven psalms have served as a special source of prayer and reflection during Lent, for centuries. The tone of their honest pleading is compelling and invites us to turn to our Lord with the same candor and desire.
Our struggles, our sins, our "enemies" - and the ways we describe them - may be different, but these psalms can draw us into coming before our God, as sinners, with real needs. They can help us come to know God's love and mercy.
Let's take a moment for prayer: Dear Lord you sent your only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Help us as we journey through the Lenten season to honestly look at our lives and repent, turn to you, accept your mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus' name. Amen.
May God bless our journey,
Pastor Dottie